The Secret's Out
by Pata Hikari
Summary: Akane finally confronts Ryoga about the secret she knows he's been keeping from her for years!


Ryoga had not expected to be getting married before Ranma, the man with at least two fiancees. Yet here he was. A month ago he had proposed to Akari, after dating her for four years.

Granted, Ranma **had** told Ryoga that only reason he and Akane had not tied the knot yet was to annoy their parents. It still amused him at times though. He was spending the last week of bachelorhood at the Tendo household, to ensure he got to his own wedding on time. He had called in a favor with Awesome Taro, and the much nicer renamed man had found his parents. It was going to be the best day of Ryoga's life, he just knew it.

There was a knock on the guest room door (technically Ranma's room, but he never slept in it anyways). "Come in." Ryoga said, wondering if he was being taken somewhere. To ensure he didn't get lost, he was not going anywhere without an escort.

"Hello Ryoga." Akane said, coming into the room.

"Ah, hey Akane." Ryoga said, giving her a friendly smile. He would always be fond of Akane. Even if now he knew that his crush on her had been mostly due to a lonely boy latching on to any affection mixed with a desire to spite his rival. Still, the two had been good friends over the years, with only one blotch on his record.

P-chan. Ryoga had no idea when and how to deal with that. The foolish actions of a boy that the man he became needed to confess and atone to. He shook his head to clear the dark thoughts from his mind. Such a problem he should probably consult Akari to figure out what to. He **had** managed to mostly avoid water around her, and the few times he got splashed he managed to keep Akane from seeing the pig. Still…

"Do you need to take me anywhere?" Ryoga asked with a smile.

"No." Akane said, sitting down on the futon. "I just, uh, wanted to talk to you a bit, Ryoga."

Ryoga nodded. "Sure." He leaned back against the window. "What's the issue?"

"You're really getting married huh?" Akane asked, looking up at him.

"Yup." Ryoga said, a goofy smile popping up. "Jealous?"

Akane laughed, "No. Not about that, at least. We'll do it when we're ready." She stepped back and looked out the window, "It's a big commitment, you know."

Ryoga shrugged, "My parents knew each other for three months before they got married." They had met in Osaka. His dad had gone out to buy a newspaper and his Mom had bought a gallon of milk. Dad's house was in Tokyo, and Mom's old apartment was in Nagoya.. In his dad's joking words, they had gotten married as an excuse to stay lost together. "I think that I've had enough time to think about spending my life with Akari."

"I see…" Akane looked out the window, sighting. "I guess that is a long time to be dating and to not make a more major commitment… It's important to get to know and trust them…" She murmured to herself.

Ryoga was frowning, what was bothering Akane? Something about his upcoming wedding had awoken some worry in his friend. "Um… Akane? What's the matter?"

Akane let out a sigh, "I just… are you sure you're going to do this?"

"What!?" Ryoha said, "Of course I am! What on earth made you think-"

"Sorry!" Akane waved her hands up in front of her, "I just.. I just wonder, I know that you… well…" She trailed off, before visibly forcing her determination out, "I know that there are some secrets you haven't told her. Haven't told anybody, really. I'm sorry about this Ryoga, I figured it out long ago…"

Ryoga paled. Akane figured it out! She knew about P-chan! Now, here of all times it was going to be forced to the surface! "I.. I…"

"I know this isn't something you ever wanted to come out." Akane looked up at him again, her eyes sad. "I know you're probably ashamed about it. But now it isn't just you. You can't let this hurt Akari, she's my friend too you know?"

"Lo-lo-look Akane! I can explain!" Ryoga managed to stammered out.

Akane shook her head, "You don't have to explain it Ryoga, I understand it completely.

"H-huh?" Ryoga said, "You do?" She understood **why** he had pretended to be her pet for almost two years? Why he had done such a stupid thing?" "And you're not mad?"

"Why would I be mad?" Akane asked, "You can't control how you feel Ryoga."

OK, what? So she also knew he used to have a crush on her, which was the entire reason he did the charade in the first place. But that didn't **excuse** it. And Ryoga knew Akane, he expected her to be upset even when he confessed and apologized himself, let alone her finding it out by herself. "But… I… uh… what I did…"

"It's not like you did anything **wrong** Ryoga." Akane said softly. "So don't feel guilty."

 _OK what the hell._ Ryoga thought, "Ah, uh… Akane…? I.. um… well, you know, that I…. I…" He couldn't say it, even in his confusion and certainty that she knew he couldn't find the will to confess.

"I know that you're in love with Ranma." Akane said in a gentle, soothing tone.

The back of Ryoga's mind noticed a butterfly flittering at the window. He noticed this because time seemed to stop for him. For a small frozen eternity he processed what Akane said, every word echoing in his very **soul** for what felt like hours. Finally, like glass shattering time resumed.

" **WHAT!?"**

"It's OK Ryoga, you don't have to hide it from me." Akane said, patting him on the shoulder, "I know how you feel." That gentle, pure, and kind smile she wore was there on her face.

She was serious about this.

"W-what makes you think… that… that I…?" Ryoga stuttered.

Akane blinked, "Well, I mean, it wasn't exactly well kept, Ryoga, it was pretty obvious." She sat down on the futon. "I mean, even way back when I first met you, I thought there might be **something** there." She laughed a little, "I mean, really, hunting Ranma down all through asia over a little fight over bread? Nobody is that petty."

Ryoga felt himself shrink. "I… err… you really think that"

Akane nodded, "Of course! You were so angry Ryoga, it was really clear once I thought about it. You were so angry because someone you cared about hurt you." Then she continued, making Ryoga die a little more inside. "And you two just kept fighting over the pettiest things…" She leaned back, "Plus, come on, all those 'disguises' Ranma put on? They were so obvious."

 _No they weren't!_ Ryoga thought desperately.

"But you always 'fell' for them because, well, I can understand how you might want any sort of affection from someone you like." She sighed at this, past memories drifting across her face. "But it didn't become obvious for me until you used that magic fishing rod on him."

"Th.. that?" Ryoga said, wincing as the memories of that horrible time came crashing back to him, he fell flat on his rear in front of her.

"Yeah." Akane said, placing a hand on his in a comforting pat. "At first I thought that Ranma teasing you so much had just… confused you. But then, after you removed the spell, I was there Ryoga. I heard you confess how you felt!"

"You… oh... Oh god why…" Ryoga remembered that awful, awful time. He had worked up the nerve to confess to Akane, but it had accidentally said it to Ranma!

"So. Ryoga, I need to know… please tell me, are you over Ranma? Have you just been going out with Akari because that's what you're 'expected' to do as man? Date a girl? Marry her? You don't have to do that Ryoga if it doesn't make you happy."

Ryoga's mouth was moving, but he found he could not make words.

"Look, Ryoga, I know what it's like to be pushed by what society expects of you." Akane said, her gentle smile making Ryoga feel like he was melting under the waves of empathy and kindness. "So I promise, I'll support you as long as you make the choice you feel will truly make you happy."

"Akane, I-" Ryoga began, trying to find the words to say.

"Ryyyooooogggaaaa!" That's when a tear filled voice burst into the room, latching into his chest.

"Akari!" Ryoga said, "I… uh…"

Akane's expression showed that she clearly had no idea Akari had been just outside the room. "Uh, Akari, we, um…"

"Please tell me it isn't true Ryoga! Have you… have you really just been forcing yourself to love me all this time?"

"Akari you can't seriously-"

"Everything Akane said made so much sense though! I mean, you did actually think Ranma was your sister for a while and all… you really did like his attention huh?" Akari sobbed into his chest

" _Who told you about that?"_ Ryoga said, before hearing the laughter and glancing back out into the hallway. "Goddamn it Ranma!" He ran over to the door, grabbing Ranma by the arm and pulling him in. Akari was still latched onto his chest.

" _Oh Ryoga!"_ Ranma said in his girliest voice, which considering all the practice he had was pretty damn girly, "Don't be so rough!"

"This is serious Ranma!" Akane glared at her fiance.

"Honestly I was wondering if you really could be that dumb…" Ranma mock mused, ducking under Ryoga's punch. "I mean, I can totally understand you having the hots for me Ryoga…" He dodged the kick, still laughing. "But look man, I'm tak-" He was slammed into the ground by Akane's elbow.

"Uggggg." Akane groaned, "I was trying to have a serious conversation here Ranma!"

Ranma sat back up, still grinning. "Ah come on, it's hilarious. Ryoga doesn't like me like that Akane."

Akari managed to pry herself from Ryoga's chest, her face still damp. "But the disguises… and the anger... and the **fishing rod!** "

Ryoga kneaded his temples. "Akane… I... I hate to say it. But I **was** that bad as a teenager. I was an angry, petty, and much worse person than I am now." He smiled at her, "Being friends with you, meeting Akari. They turned me into better person.

"What about me?" Ranma asked.

Ryoga glared at him, "I'm not giving you any more excuses to me smug Saotome."

"Maybe we should ask your sister Yoiko what she thinks-"

" _What was you in a dress!"  
_  
Ranma smirked, "I was wearing overalls."

"B-but the fishing rod?" Akari asked.

Ryoga took a few deep breaths. He supposed it was fine to confess this, long after it really mattered. "Well, hitting Ranma with it was… an accident. I was aiming for someone else."

Akane blinked, "But wait who else could you have been aiming for to accidentally… hit… Ranma…" The memories of that event flitted through her mind, and her eyes widened.

Ryoga nodded, "Yes. I, well, I had a crush on you back then Akane."

"A crush… on me?" Akane's eyes widened. "So… oh my god." She turned to Ranma, "And you knew about it! That's why you would act like a bigger asshole than usual whenever I spent time with him!"

"Bigger?" Ranma asked incredulously.

"So you see, Akane, Akari, this has all been a terrible, **terrible** misunderstanding." Ryoga said.

Akane's face turned red, "I mean, I'm sorry Ryoga! I mean, there'd be nothing wrong with you liking Ranma or any guy but-"

Ranma just sighed, putting his hand on Akane's shoulder, "Yeah we get it. Ryoga was that dumb, you didn't know everything, and Akari needs to stop freaking out because she's getting married in a week."

Akari wiped the tears from her eyes, "Oh, I must look silly." She laughed, "Freaking out so much… I'm sorry Ryoga." She leaned over and kissed him on the cheek.

"It's fine! It's fine." Ryoga said quickly. He looked between Akane and Akari, feeling awkward he grabbed Ranma by the arm. "We're going to the dojo."

"Ooohhh want some private time?" Ranma said.

"Oh do **not** start that." Ryoga growled, pulling Ranma out into the hallway and hopefully walking in the direction of the dojo. "I was freaking out there!"

"Come on man, it was kind of funny right?" Ranma said.

"I was terrified, then horrified!" Ryoga hissed. "I mean, when Akane came in she started talking about this big secret… I thought…"

"Wait… you still haven't told her?" Ranma asked incredulously.

This made Ryoga feel, somehow, more frustrated, so he dragged Ranma by the arm harder, stepping through a door. "I haven't been able to figure out the right way to talk to her about P-chan yet!"

"Wait, Ryoga, what about P-chan?" Akane's voice asked.

Ryoga looked back from Ranma to in front of him. Somehow his sense of direction had lead him in a circle back into the guest room. Even Ranma looked shocked.

Ranma pried himself from Ryoga's slack grip. "You're on your own now!" He turned around and ran the other way, only to be stopped by Akane grabbing his pigtail, a frown on her face.

"P-chan?" Akari asked.

"A wandering pig I would take care of." Akane said. "He was this little tiny pig."

"A… tiny pig?" Akari said, gaze suddenly turning over to Ryoga. Suspicion lit up within her eyes.

"Yeah, but that was years ago…" Akane said, not letting the struggling Ranma go. "Ryoga, did you or Ranma have something to do with him?"

The reaper was surely behind Ryoga this instant. Still, he was a man. It would seem the time had truly, finally, come. He sat back down, "That's… a long story." Ryoga admitted. With an air of finality, he confessed what had happened all those years ago.

* * *

" **YOU** _ **WHAT?!"**_

* * *

Well, Ryoga did his best to try and look on the bright side.

Akane seemed to not be willing to completely disown them, since it had been years since P-chan had last been seen. The massive amounts of bowing, apologizing, and explaining that they both knew it had been a stupid, **stupid** thing they had done as dumb teenagers. Akane had gone off to go break bricks. Lots of bricks.

Plus, Dr. Tofu said that the twin handprints of Akari and Akane on their faces would be almost completely faded in time for the wedding!


End file.
